Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-03-02
8 ASYLUM BILL.

INSANE ASYLUM BILL.
Tho bin to sstabli6han Insane Asylami
the Territory va passsd in the Houa
Friday The principal featureIof tn &ea.
ure, a. wsAndsrstand It. = it proysdes 10
an appe6priation Of 500, 00Qefo be I,
pesdea4n thsparcAase oftrouhas and fh
erection of buildings for the purpos
ISIS. 000fo r the site and the balance to b
used in the construction of the asylum, tn
whole to be expended under the supervisor
OF q board created by the bill. It also pro
vides for an appropriation of $4,000
year for the next two years for the main
tenance Of the hospital and the patient
therein. !T4s'uspal safeguards ere Albrowl
around the patients in provisions for thei
medication, proper care, etc.
The bill is silent as to the selection OF
site or location tor the asylum. This mat
ter is left to q board OF five commissioner,
lone from eachAjudicial district and ON
from the Territory ct laresrtto ,pb be selected
by ballot in joint session OF both houses o
the Fifteenth Legislative Assembly. Thii
board will meet on tho first Monday il
May, select a location. .reportto the Cover
Q when their duties end and they are dis
charged. These are the proceedings. to. b,
had under the original bill. What amend
ments, If any, were made to it before il
passed the House We are not advised. Fo,
the purposes Of this article this is. .imma,
terial.
The real point-ths one which most in.
terests the people Of Montana-is the selec.
ton. Of the proper location fol. the build.
ings, and about this The MINER proposes
to say a few words. There ale three OF
four places mentioned as excellent sites for
the proposed asylum. One is the Fort Ell.
lis military reservation. near ,Bozeman:
another is the Hot Springs near Helena,
and the third is its present location. A
memorial has passed both houses OF the
Legislative Assembly. praying Congress to
give the Territory the Fort Ellis reserva.
ton for the site of the buildings. As this
Congress will not have time to act upon
the memorial even il it were disposed to do
SO, and as provision is made for the public
sale OF the reservation in July, the memo.
rial, in effect, amounts to nothing. But
even II the ground could be obtained for
nothing, or for Q nominal price, Bohemian
is hardly the place for an insane asylum.
It is conceded that patients should have
the benefit OF warm medicinal waters, OF
which the Territory is so richly favored,
and the Fort Ellis military reservation
lacks that very essential factor in the
treatment Of insane patients. .'
The springs near Helena have warmth, but
they are not noted for medicinal qualities,
and we are not aware that curtive virtues
are claimed for their waters. They can be
made agreeable for bathing purposes, and
when that is said every thing has been said
to which they are justly entitled. And then
again the location is q most uninvitinx one.
Located in a narrow canyon orgorge the in
mountains, through which the dirty waters
OF Ten Mile Creek flow, and from which
Gods sunlight. the great health restorsr, is
shut ont during many hours in the day.
and with nothing but the rocky sides of the
towering cliffs upon either hand for the eye
to rest upon, the place is far from being q
desirable one for insane persons. In fact
the surroundings are so dismal in their
character-so gloomy and cheerless as to
preclude the possibility Of the recovery Of
the most hopeful cases. But We cannot be-
lieve the location is seriously viewed as q
proper one for the asylum. The objections
to it are SO patent to the most superficial
observer that any sane commissioner
would refuse it as a gift for the location of
the proposed asylum.
The objections, however, which present
themselves against the selection Of the
Fort Ellis military reservation or the Hell
ena Warm Springs as a site for the asylum
cannot be raised against it's present loca-
ton. This is a most desirable site, being
nnn ~ %L- ---. r~ptl0A IouIJu resorts in
the entire West. Being situated in the
heart OF the lovely Deer Lodge. valley,
whose wide expanse is bounded on either
side by picturesque mountains, whose
SHOWS feed innumerable trout-flled
which find their way across the
beautiful plain to the peaceful river in the
near distance, the eye Of the invalid is
over pleased and delighted by q scenic pam
Drama. which for natural beauty is unsur.
passed in the world, 1t has been we'll said
that Nature showersd magnificent and un.
o~urchasable favors with an ans ,arine
in the creation OF Warm Springs and
The waters of these springs
ire essentially medicinal, possess remarka-
Die curative qualities, and have been found
highly beneficial for rheumatism, neural
catarrhal affections, dyspepsia,
chronic complaints, etc. The cures they
lave effected, and the unusually large per.
Of insane persons restored to
lealth and a sound mind speak volumes in
Of this great sanita1ium.
The property embraces 1850 acres OF
xcellent farming, grazing and meadow land, |
here being four or five hundred acres oil
he latter. The whole area is surrounded
y a good, substantial fence and the enclo-
ure divided and sub-divided in convenient
DTS. Over one hundred acres are under |
The whole::is covered by an
of water for ~irrigating
purposes.
The Asylum buildings number thirty
all substantially built and neatly fur
ished. A brick ire-proof structure for
iolent patients is included in the number. .
'hese buildings are connected by WELL
uilt raised walks, and each supplied with
he warm, health-giving waters OF the :
brings, by means OF underground pipes. :
his magnificent property, including a =
Ill set OF farming implements, t~hirty-two :
cad Of horses-altogether about $25, 600 .
orth OF stock can be purchased, we under .
and, for the sum Of 500, 900; but the :
roprietors are not at all anxious to sell :
{ that price. They realize the immense .
alue OF their property and what it will =
'entually bring them.- But it's purchase :
= the Territory would be in the direct line
the interests OF the unfortunates who
% there now, and those who may follow q
lem. The proposition OF the proprietors v
be carefully considered by the q
'oper authorities. d
THE RAILROAD COMMISST0N.